The present invention generally relates to saddles or seats used for supporting a bicycle rider and is more particularly directed to bicycle seats which support the rider with separate support surfaces.
Cycling provides recreation, exercise and a sport for many individuals.
Conventional bicycle seats or saddles are typically of a one-piece design, and include a wider seat portion and a narrower xe2x80x9chornxe2x80x9d portion. The horn, sometimes referred to as a pommel, is disposed toward a front of the saddle. Most conventional saddles to not provide adequate comfort for the rider. This is in part due to the cushioning provided in the saddle, the suspension utilized between the saddle and a bicycle mounting post, and, further, the dimensions of the bicycle saddle do not appropriately match that required by the rider. This is particularly important with regard to the width of the bicycle saddle. This limitation of conventional bicycle saddles results in a failure to uniformly support a rider""s buttock.
Due to the fact that bicycle saddles only provide a small contact area for supporting the entire weight of the rider, the contact areas are subject to intense pressure.
An imbalance between the supported and unsupported parts of the rider""s buttock generally results in physical discomfort for the rider. In response, the rider must engage in constant shifting and repositioning on the bicycle saddle in order to relieve the anatomical pressure points. Naturally, such movement interferes with the rider""s rhythm and control which is particularly important in the sport of bicycle racing.
For conventional bicycle seats, once this problem is discovered by the rider, the only satisfactory solution is to replace the seat with another.
In order to solve this problem, a number of adjustable bicycle seats having one or more cushions have been developed. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,089,559, 4,387,925, 4,512,608, 4,541,668, 4,877,286, 5,123,698, 5,709,430, 5,725,274, 5,823,618, 5,873,626, and 5,911,474, among many others.
While many of the referenced patents provide enhanced comfort and adjustment to a rider, all of them represent very complicated mechanical arrangements which are costly to produce.
The present invention provides for a split rail bicycle saddle which is simple in design, has few separate parts and accordingly is amenable to economical manufacture.
A bicycle saddle in accordance with the present invention generally includes a pair of elongate cushions with each cushion having a horn and a seat area. Rail means a or front frame provides means for holding the horn areas of each cushion in a spaced apart relationship with one another and a separate rear frame provides a means for holding the seat areas of each cushion in a spaced apart relationship with one another. More particularly, the rear frame is disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the front frame.
Means disposed in the rear frame are provided for enabling adjustment of the spaced apart relationship between the cushion seat areas. No significant separation of the spaced apart horn areas is effected by this adjustment.
The rail means, interconnected between the horn means or front frame and the rear frame also enables the attachment of the saddle to a bicycle post or the like.
More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, screw means are provided and disposed in the rear frame for tensioning the cushions between the first and second frames.
Fasteners are provided in the rear frame for enabling the adjustment of the spaced apart relationship between the cushion rear areas and, in addition, flat areas on the rail means are provided for engaging the fasteners in order to stabilize the rail means to prevent lateral movement thereof.
To facilitate the adjustment of the spaced apart relationship between the rear areas, the font frame may comprise means defining a central narrow area, for yielding thereof upon separation of the spaced apart relationship between the cushion rear seat areas. If the rail means attached directly to the horn means, a portion of the rail means between the horn means yields to accommodate separation of the seat areas.
Still more particularly, the rail means includes a pair of side-by-side rails and the screw means include two screws, with each screw surrounding an aft end of each rail. The screws are transversely and threadably engaged in the rear frame in order to tension cushions as hereinabove noted.
The rear frame itself comprises an elongate member disposed between the cushion rear areas and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the saddle. Fore ends of each of the rails may be connected to depending members, respectively, on the front frame. Importantly, the front frame is attached to the horn means at a distance from a nose of each cushion to enable flexing of the noses over the distance. This provides more comfort to the rider and reduces the possibility of rider injuring upon abrupt engagement therewith which may occur during riding.